Process of wrapping and machine therefor



R. LEUMANN.

PROCESS OF WRAPPING AND MACHINE THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31,1921. I

Patented Aug. 1, 1922..

3 SHEETS-SHEET I.

m IIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII II m Ii R. LEUMANN.

PROCESS OF WRAPPING AND MACHINE THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1921.

Patented Aug. L 1922.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2- R. LEUMANN.

PROCESS OF WRAPPING AND MACHINE THEREFOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 31, 1921.

1A%,363, Patented Aug. 1, 1922.

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PROCESS OF WRAPPING AND MACHINE THEREFOR. r

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1 1922..

. Application filed March 31, 1921. Serial No. 457,484.

(GRANTED uismra THE raovrsrons or THE m or mace a, 1921, 41 our. r.., 1313.

T 0 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Brennan LEUMANN, a citizen of the Republic of Switzerland, re siding at Chailly-sur-Lausanne, Switzerland, have invented certain new and useful llmfiovements in Processes of Wrapping and achines Therefor (for which applications for patents have been filed in Switzerland, November 19, 1914,. Patent N 0. 70351 in Ger many, November 27, 1914, Patent N 0. 293680, and in England, May 9, 1917, Patent No. 110882); and I do hereby declare the following to be a clear, full, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

It is already known to use a membrane when fixing capsules to the neck and to the head of bottles whereby the folding of the capsule is effected through the interposition of the membrane by drawing the membrane over the bottle. In this case only part of an article is wrapped, which article is able to resist to a greater pressure. Further it is known to hold a cube to be wrapped simultaneously with the wrapper at two opposite sides by means of one finger at. each side and to'fold the wrapper by drawing the cube past folding planes.

This invention has for its object to provide improvements to a method and a machine for completely wrapping single articles of any shape, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets in a wrapper of the type wherein the wrapper that has been brought previously over the article is first folded hood-fashion around the article, and then closed on the underside of the article by means of a membrane arranged on a frame, which membrane has been slipped over the article by the upward movement of the article between two conveyor fingers that are arranged one above the other and grip the article, the wrapper and the membrane between them.

An essential feature of the process according to the present invention consists in the fact that the article after the membrane has been slipped over it, is so engaged at two points opposite to each other at the side that is not yet wrapped that the article is firmly held and the wrapper together with the membrane is partially caused to lie against that side that is not wrapped, whereupon folding fingers crush together wrapper projecting beyond that side of the article consecutively in two different directions; finally the wrapped article is released from said lateral grip.

The accompanying drawings illustrate a.

constructional example of a machine for carrying out the said process.

F g. 1 is a side view of the machine and F g. 2 is a plan view thereof, I

Fig. 3 illustrates the essential part of the machine in a vertical longitudinal section.

Fig. 4 shows on a larger scale a'detail of the hooked arms which support the article;

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 are vertical sectionsdrawn to a larger scale of parts of the machine, for the purpose of'illustrating successive different positions of working;

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 are plans showing further parts of the machine likewise in diiferent successive working positions;

Figs. 11, 12 and 13 show the wrapper in position on the article in different stages of the wrapping, and

Fig. 14 illustrates a modification of a part' of the machine.

As is shown in the example, the improved machine for completely wrapping a single article, comprises a turnably mounted table 1, by means of which the articles to be wrapped are conveyed to the place where the wrapping is carried out. The table 1 is provided with cup shaped recesses 3 for taking up the articles (such as bonbons). The recesses 3 have in their bases apertures 3, which are smaller than the bonbon, for the passage therethrough of a finger 5 which moves up and down in a fixed vertical guide 4, under the table. A second finger 6 arranged above the finger 5 and in alignment with the latter is adapted to cooperate with the finger 5; it moves up and down in a fixed vertical uide 7 situated above the table 1. A tab e 11 provided with an aperture for the passage therethrough of the bonbon 2 and provided with stops 10 at its front edge is arranged directly over the table 1. Sheets 12 consisting for instance of tin foil, paper, etc. intended to serve as the wrappers are brought upon this table in regular intervals the portion of the.

of time by means of two rollers 8' and. 9 ofz-a paper feed apparatus which will be described hereinafter.

' Above the table 11 there is arranged a membrane 13 consisting of an elastic mate- 'rial" for instance rubber, which .is fixed on the horizontalframe'lt. The membrane 13 can be caused to bulge downwardly as well as upwardly through an aperture '15 in the frame 14. On the frame 14 there are mounted two pairs offolding fingers 16 and 17 arranged crosswise one over the other, which can rock on fixed fulcrums and are provided with anti-friction rollers 18 that extend through curved slots 19- in a ring 20 (Fig. 8) whichis mounted to oscillate on the frame 14. The ring. 20 is adapted to receive from a lever mechanism 21 a to and fro movement such that the fingers 16 and 17 will be caused to open and close alternately in airs. v

n the guide 7 there are pivoted two hooked arms 22 which are held apart in the position shown in 3, by means of a tension spring 23 ig. 4) These arms project with bent noses 24, 25 into thepath of'a head 6 which is provided on the lower end of the finger 6, which head is fitted with soft material 6", for instance rubber.

The machine is actuated from-a driving pulley 26 (Fig. 2) by which rotation is imparted to a spur wheel 28 fixed to the main driving shaft 29 by the interposition of a pinion 27. On this driving shaft the dlscs 30, 31 and 32 and the driving part 33 ofa Maltese gear 33, 34 are mounted.

The cam disc is'provided at both sides with cam-g'rooves, the cam-groove 35 (Fig. 3) serving to actuate a knife 36 for cutting the strip of paper 71. The paper is fed from a roll 38 carried on a forked standard.

and is passed over a guide roll 39 and a guiding table 40 to a pair of rollers 41, arranged immediately in front of the knife 36.

A roller 42 fitted to the end of lever 44 loosely mounted on an axle 43 and adapted to swing about the latter, is co-acting with the cam roove 35; the lever 44 is linked by means of a connecting rod 45 to a lever 46 turnably mounted on an axle. 47, the knife 36 being fixed to the free end of the lever 46.

' The secondcam groove 48 of the disc 30 serves to actuate the upper finger 6. To

this end a roller. 49 co-operating with the cam groove 48 is provided at the end of a lever 50 adapted to turn about the axle 43; a connecting rod 51 linked to the lever 50 causes a turning motion of the axle 52 and actuates thereby a rod 53.to the end of which the finger 6 is linked.

A cam groove 54 is provided on the disc 7 '31 for the purpose of actuating the lower finger 5. 'A roller 55 co-operating with the cam groove 54 is mounted at the end of a lever 56 loosely fitted to the axle 43 and adapted to turn aboutthe latter, the lever I 56 being connected by the rod 57 to the lower end of the finger 5.

The cam disc 32 is provided witha cam groove 58 serving to actuate the pair of folding fingers 16 and 17 i. e. to cause the scissor like movement of these folding'fingers. To this effect a roller 59 co-operating with the cam groove 58 is fitted t0 the end of a lever 60 loosely'mounted on the axle 43 and adapted to turn about the latter, which lever 60 actuates the rod 21 operatively condrives the toothed wheel 66 at the one end of a shaft 67. At the other end of the shaft 67 a bevel wheel 68 is mounted which meshes with a bevel wheel 69. The latter is fitted to the lower end of an axle 70, at the upper end of which the turn table 1 is fixed The feed of thepaper strip 71 is effected by'the pair of rollers 41, 41 situated on one side of the knife 36 and the pair of rollers 8, 9 situated on the other side'of the knife 3 6 which rollers are driven by the shaft 64. To this effect a chain wheel 72 is fixed to the shaft 64 and the chain 73 co-acting with the Y chain wheel 72 imparts rotation to an axle on which a pinion 74 is mounted, which by I the interposition of further pinions 75 rotates the two pairs of rollers.

The operation of the machine hereinbefore described and as shown in the drawings is as follows:

The bonbons 2 to be wrapped are placed into the recesses 3 of the turn table 1 and are intermittently fed to the wrapping members between the two fingers 5, 6 under the centre of the membrane 13. At every one quarter of a revolution of the Maltese cross 34 the turn table 1 is moved by the length of the pitch of the recesses. 1 When the driving pulley 26 is actuated a sheet 12 is severed from the strip of paper 71, which has been pulled up to the stop 10, by the knife 36, the finger 5 moves up and passes through the aperture 3 in the cup 3 situated over the finger 5, and pushes out the bonbon contained in the said cup. At the same time the finger 6 moves down tak ing with it the membrane 13 as shown in F gs. 1 and 3. A wrapper 12 has been prev1ously placed upon the table 11 before the downward movement of fin r 6. Now when the two fingers 5 and 6 grip the bonbon 2 tongs-fashion, they grip the wrapper 12 as well.

Then the two fingers still holding the bonbon 2, the wrapper 12 and the membrane 13 between them, move up until the bonbon has reached the position shown in Fig. 5. The

' bonbon 2 .is now wrapped completely except on itsunderside, by the wrapper 12, and outside the latter by the membrane 13. The

finger 5 ngw comes to a standstill. The

finger 6 however continues moving upwards for some distance until its head 6 strikes the bent noses 24;, 25 of the hooked arms 22.

The hooked arms 22 are thereby moved so that the bonbon is held; at the same time the wrapper is pressed by the'membrane partly against the side which is not yet wrapped. The finger 5 can now move down ward, thatis to say, move away from the side which is not yet wrapped.

Fig. 11 illustrates the bonbon in this stage.

of the wrapping operation, the membrane being assumed to be removed. During-the movements described up to now the folding fin ers 16 and 17 are in the-positions shown in Fig. 8; they now come also into operation by the action of the 0am disc 32 in order to wrap the bonbon also on its underside by crushing together the wrapper. Namely, first for instance the folding fin- .gers 16 are caused by theto and fro rotation of the ring 20- through the angular distance b (-Fig. 8 to move towards each other almost until they touch, and then to move away from each other again. Then by rotating the ring 20 to and fro through the angular distance I) (Fig. '8), the same operation takes place with the two folding fingers 17, so that the wrapper is crushed together successively in two different directions, and is folded also on the underside of the bonbon with the exception of a loose end in the middle. The wrapper has now assumed the form shown in Fig. 12.

The movement of the folding fingers is" eifected in such a manner that the first pair of folding fingers has opened before the second pair of foldin fingersv begins to close. After the four folding fingers have acted in this manner upon the wrapper 12, the fingers 5 and 6 move again towards each other and grip the bonbon afresh, whereby the finger 5 presses the loose end of the wrapper (Fig. 12). against the underside of the bonbon (Fig. 13). As soon as the .bonbon is gripped by the fingers 5 and 6,

the hooked arms 22 release the bonbon (Fig. 7). The fingers 5 and 6 move downwards whereby the bonbon is caused to move away from the membrane, and the said fingers place it completely wrapped into the aforesaid recess of the turn table 1.

As soon as the completely wrapped bonbon 2 is placed in the recess 3, the Maltese cross 34 is performing, one quarter of a revolution whereupon the shaft 64 turns likewise by one quarter of a revolution. Thereby the feed motion of the turning, table 1 to'the extent of'the pitch of the recesses is effected. Furthermore the chain wheel is turned by one quarter of a revolution whereoperation the conveyor fingers 5 and 6 are again actuated whereupon the above described series of operations is repeated. The finger 5 may be covered with rubber or other soft material as indicated in the drawings in the case of finger 6.

The membrane instead of being fixed at its periphery to the frame 14, may be fixed by means of springs 37, for instance in the manner shown in Fig. 14, in which case it can then be made of a less elastic material.

I claim:

'1. In a process for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper to one side of a membrane, feedbulging membrane, gripping the article pressed into the; membrane at two lateral points opposite to eachother and outside of the membrane and causing thereby the wrap-. per to partly lie against that side of'the article that has not yet been wrapped, crushing together the wrapper at said. side in two difierent directions, releasing the article of said lateral grip, and removing the wrapped article from the bulged out mem- 1 brane.

2. In a process for completely wrapping 4 single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper to one side of a membrane, feeding the article to be wrapped to that side of the wrapper remote of the membrane, gripping the artlcle together with the wrapper and the membrane in the centre of the latter and at the opposite side of the article by means of two fingers, holding the membrane at its circumference, moving the artic-le the wrapper and the membrane in a direction perpendicularl tothe plane of the membrane, the article eing pressed into the bulging membrane, gripping the article I pressed into the membrane at two lateral points opposite to each. other and outside of the membrane and causing thereby the wrapper to partly l-ie against that side of the article that has not yet been wrapped, removing said fingers from the side of the article not yet wrap ed, crushing together the wrapper at said side in two different d1- rections, releasing the article of said lateral grip, and removing the {wrapped article from the bulged out membrane.

3. In a process for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper to one side of a membrane, feeding the article to be wrapped to that side of the wrapper remote of the membrane, gripping the article together with the wrapper and the membrane in the center of the latter and at the opposite side of the articleby means of two fingers, holding the membrane at its circumference, moving the article the wrapper and the membrane in a direction perpendicularly to the plane of the membrane, the article being pressed into the bulgin membrane, gripping the article presse into the membrane at two lateral points opposite to each other and outside of the membrane and causing thereby the wrapper to partly lie against that side of the article that has not yet been wrapped, removing said fingers from the side of the article not yet wrapped, crushing together the wrapper at said side in two different directions, supporting the wrapped article at the side that has been wrapped last and pressing thereby the wrappervto the article, releasing the article of sa1d lateral grip, and removing the wrapped article from the buld ed out membrane.

' 4;. %n a process for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper to one side of a membrane, feeding the article to be wrapped to that side of the wrapper remote of the membrane, gripping the article together with the wrapper and the membrane in the center of the latter and at the o posite side of the article by means of two ngers, holding the membrane at its circumference, moving the article the wrapper and the membrane in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the membrane the article being pressed into the bulging membrane, gripping the article pressedinto the membrane at two lateral points opposite to each otherand outside of the membrane and causing thereby the wrapper to partly lie against that side of the article that has not yet been wrapped, crushing together the parts of the wrapper projecting from said side in one direction,

crushing together the once crushed part of the wrapper in a direction perpendicular to the afore mentioned direction, releasing latter and at the o posite side of the article by means of two ngers, holdin the membrane at its circumference, moving the article the wrapper and the membrane in a direction perpendicularly to the plane of the membrane the article being pressed into thebulged membrane, gripping the article pressed into the membrane at two lateral points opposite to each other and outside of the membrane and causing thereby the wrapper to' partly lie against thatoside of the article that has not yet been wrapped, removing said fingers from the side of the article not yet wrapped, crushing together the parts of the wrapper projecting from said side in one direction, crushing together the once crushed part of the wrapper in a direction perpendicular to the afore mentioned direction, supporting the wrapped article at the side that has been wrapped last and pressing thereby the wrapper to the article, releasing the article from said lateral grip, and removing the wrapped article from the bulged out membrane.

6. In a process for completely wrappin single articles, such as chocolate bonbons an other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper in between the article to be wrapped and the membrane, causing the membrane to completely enclose the article to be wrapped outside the wrapper and removing the membrane from the completely wrapped article.

7. In a process for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, comprising feeding a wrapper in between the article to be wrapped and a membrane, pressing the article to the membrane and causing a bulging of the latter, squeezing the membrane over that side of the article not yet wrapped and removingthe completelywrapped article from the membrane.

8. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a membrane, means adapted to hold a wrapper parallel to said membrane, means adapted to old the article to be wrapped to that side of ,the wrapper remote of the membrane, means adapted to move the article to be wrapped together with the wrapper and said membrane perpendicularly to the plane of v out membrane.

membrane are folded over the article except on-one side, means for crushing together the membrane over said side not yet wrapped, and meansfor effecting the removal of the completely wrapped article from the bulged 9. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a membrane, means adapted to hold a wrapper parallel to said membrane, means adapted to hold the article to be wrapped to that side of the wrapper remote of the membrane, fingers adapted to grip the articles with the Wrapper and the membrane, means operatively connected to said fingers to press the article against the membrane and cause a bulging of the latter whereby the article is wrapped at all sides except one, folding members for crushing together the wrapper over said side not yet wrapped, and means for effecting the removal of the completely wrapped article from the bulged out membrane.

10. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as. chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a membrane, a supporting part for a wrapper provided with an aperture in its centre and arranged under said membrane, a device adapted to feed the articles singly under said supporting part, a finger adapted to lift the article together with said wrapper to the membrane and causing the latter to bulge whereby the article is wrapped except at one side, folding fingers adapted to crush to gether the part of the wrapper projecting beyond said side of the article in two different directions, mechanism for actuating the feed device and the folding fingers and mechanism for actuating said first mentioned finger and returning it into its initial position and to release the' completely wrapped article.

11. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a

membrane, a supporting part for a wrapper provided with an aperture in its centre and arranged under said membrane, a device adapted to feed the, articles singly under said supporting part, a finger adapted to lift the article together with said wrapper to the membrane and causing the latter to bulge whereby the article is wrapped except at one side, two pairs of folding fingers adapted tocrush together thepart of the wrappers projecting beyond said side of the article in two different directions, mechanisms for actuating said first mentioned finger, and returning it, into its initial posi-' tion to release the completely wrapped article, and mechanisms to actuate the feed device and the folding fingers.

membrane, means adapted to hold a wrapper parallel to said membrane, means adapted to 7 old the article to be wrapped, to that side of the wrapper remote of the membrane,

means adapted to move the article to be wrapped together with the wrapper and said membrane perpendicularly to the plane of the membrane so that the latter and the wrapper situated between the article and the membrane are folded over the article except on one side, means for gripping the article in the bulged membrane at two opposite points of the side not yet wrapped so that part of the wrapper is caused to lie against said side, means for removing the holding means from the article, means adaptedto crush together the membrane at the side not yet wrapped, means causing to return said holding meansinto the initial position, means adapted to re move said gripping means from the article,

vided with an aperture in its centre and arranged under said membrane, a device adapte ed to feed the articles singly under said supporting part, a finger adapted to lift the artlcle together wlth said wrapper to the membrane and causing the latter to bulge where.- y

by the article is wrapped at one side, hooked arms adapted to grip the article in the bulged membrane at two op osite points of the side not yet wrapped so that part of the wrapper is caused to lie against said side, means adapted to remove said lifting finger from the free side of the article, two pairs of folding fingers adapted to crush together the part of the wrapper projecting beyond said side of the article in two different directions, means adapted to lift the finger to bear against the article, driving means for actuating the feed device, the hooked arms, and the two pairs of folding fingers, means for removing the hooked arms from the lower side of the article, and'means to effect the removal of the article from the membrane.

14. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a membrane, means to feed a wrapper between said membrane and the article to be wrapped, means adapted to move the membrane so that it bears against one side of the wrapper, means causing the article to bear against the other side of the wrapper, means adapted to move the article, the wrapper and the membrane together in a direction perpendicular to the plane of the membrane so that the membrane covers the article except at one side, means to crush together the membrane at said side of the article, and means to remove the article from the membrane.

15. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single sweets, in combination, a membrane, a supporting p'art for a wrapper provided with an aperture in its center and arranged under said membrane, a device adapted to feed the articles singly under said supporting part, a finger adapted to lift the article together with said wrapper to the membrane and causing the latter to bulge' whereby the article is wrapped except at one side, a second finger adapted to cause themembrane to bear against the wrapper previous to the article being lifted, means adapted to move the article to be wrapped together with the wrapper and said membrane perpendicularly to the plane of the membrane so that the latter and the wrapper situated between the article and the membrane are folded over the article except on one side, means for crushing together the membrane over said side not yet wrapped, and means for effecting the removal of the completely wrapped article from the bulged out membrane.

16. In a machine for completely wrapping single articles, such as chocolate bonbons and other single, sweets, in combination, a membrane, a sup orting part for a wrapper provided. with n aperture in its center and arranged under'said membrane, a feed device adapted to feed the articles singly under said supporting part, a finger adapted to lift the article together with said wrapper to the membrane and causing the latter to bulge whereby the article is wrapped exce t at one side, a finger adapted to cause t 1e membrane to bear against the wrapper prerious to the article being lifted, means adapted to return the second mentioned finger into 'its initial position simultaneously as the article is lifted, hooked arms adapted to grip the article in the bulged membrane at-two opposite points of the side not yet wrapped so thatpart of the wrapper is caused to lie against said side, means adapted to remove saidli'fting finger from the free side of the article,-two pairs of folding fingers adapted to crush together the part of the wrapper projecting beyond said side of the article in two different directlons, means adapted to lift the finger to bear against the article, driving means for actuating the feed device, the hooked arms, and the two pairs of folding fingers, means for removing the hooked arms from the lower side of the article, and means to' effect the removal of the article from the membrane.

. 17. In a process for wrapping, feedin a wrapper between an article to be wrappe and a yielding membrane, causing the membrane to press the wrapper snugly around 1 the top and sides of the article to be wrapped, crimping the wrapper partially beneath the article, crushing the wrapper depending below the article in two directions; and then crushing the wrapper against the bottom of the article.

18. In a process for wrapping sweetmeats and the like, feeding a wrapper between the article to be wrapped and a membrane, causing the membrane to press the wrapper snugly into the article except on one side, and thereafter causing'the wrapper to lie snugly against the. side not In testimony that as my invention, I have signed my name.

RICHARD LEUMANN.

get wrapped.

Witnesses MACDER AFFRED, EDGAR AUDREY.

claim the foregoing 

